Active adventure in the Brenta Dolomites and at Lake Garda

Day 1Travel Day / Transport to Madonna di Campiglio / Overnight at Rifugio Graffer

After arriving in Bergamo, there will be a transfer from the airport to the mountain village of Madonna di Campiglio. A short stop along the way for a light lunch (not included).

Once you arrive in Madonna di Campiglio, you will meet the local mountain guides who will show you around the mountains for the next three days. You will repack so that what you need for these days goes into your small backpack. You will leave your larger luggage at the hotel where you will be staying later this week.
Then, the mountain lift takes you up to Rifugio Graffer, where you will check in. The local guides will give a brief orientation and review of the itinerary for the upcoming days, followed by a shorter "warm-up hike" in the area around the mountain lodge.

A joint gathering around the dinner table before calling it a night (included).

Day 2Hike with Via Ferrata / Overnight at Rifugio Brentei

An exciting day awaits!
You eat breakfast, pack your bag, and set course for the next mountain lodge. Magical views along the way.
The hike is mostly on trails. Despite many of the surrounding mountain peaks being around 3500 m.a.s.l., today's segment remains at roughly the same altitude throughout: between 2000 – 2500 m.a.s.l.
Along the way, you will try out several Via Ferratas, where you will be slightly challenged with the height. The mountain guides conduct a thorough briefing before each Via Ferrata and climb together with the group. The Via Ferratas you will climb are relatively easy technically and therefore do not require any prior experience. However, it can be helpful to be somewhat comfortable with heights. Just enjoy the surroundings, it is beautiful everywhere you turn.

Lunch, which is a packed lunch brought along (included), is eaten at a suitable place along the way, most likely at a mountain lodge.

After a full day in the mountains, you arrive at the newly renovated Rifugio Brentei and are assigned your bed.
After-hike and relaxation before a well-deserved dinner in very special surroundings (included). I bet everyone sleeps well tonight, full of fresh mountain air, a sense of accomplishment, and wonderful experiences.

Day 3Hiking in the Brenta Dolomites / Overnight in Madonna di Campiglio

After a good breakfast and a cup of coffee, you will go through today's route with a local guide. You have several options and will choose the route based on the weather, but also based on the experiences made the day before.

The plan is for you to walk up some of the surrounding mountain passes where you can see over to the next valley. There are several mountain lodges in the area, and several different Via Ferratas.
If there are many of you, the tour leader might split the group in two, where those who want to can try a new Via Ferrata, and the rest of the group chooses a route without Via Ferratas. The groups will, of course, meet for dinner/lunch (packed lunch included).
No matter the choice of route, you will eventually walk down past some spectacular waterfalls on the way to the parking lot in Vallesinella. From there, you take the local bus for the final kilometers back to Madonna di Campiglio (not included).

In the afternoon, we are back in "civilization" and check in at our hotel in town.
After-hike and time for some relaxation at the hotel before a joint dinner in the hotel restaurant (included).

Day 4Cinque Laghi Hike

Today you take the Cinque Laghi gondola up to 2000 m.a.s.l. Now you are on the "other" side of the mountains, enjoying a fantastic view of the Brenta Dolomites that you hiked in during the previous days.
On today's hike, you will pass five beautiful mountain lakes – Cinque Laghi. A hike on nice trails with panoramic views all the way.
Expect the hike to take about 4-5 hours before it finishes at the top of the Pradalago mountain lift.
Lunch today is not included.

Today, the after-hike will be at the top of the mountain lift, on the terrace with the best view!

Eventually, you take the lift back down to the town for some time on your own before a joint dinner in the hotel restaurant (included).

Day 5Transport to Torbole / Free Day with Option for Sun & Swimming

You check out of the hotel and pack your luggage into the transfer bus that takes you down to Lake Garda (included). A trip of about two hours.

After checking into the hotel in Torbole / Riva del Garda, you have the rest of the day on your own. Perhaps a refreshing swim in Lake Garda is tempting, or just some relaxation on the beach.
The town of Torbole is right next door to Riva del Garda. A great walking path along the beach connects the towns. Many opportunities with cozy restaurants and shops for those who want to do some shopping. 

Lunch and dinner on your own today (not included).

Day 6Excursion by Boat, Mountain Lift, and Hike to Monte Baldo

On this day, you choose between participating in activities or just relaxing in Torbole.

For those who wish to do activities, the day starts relatively early. After a wonderful breakfast at the hotel, we walk group-wise down to the harbor to catch the first boat departure over to the town of Malcesine. A great boat trip of about 40 minutes. In Malcesine, you take the mountain lift all the way to the top of Monte Baldo, almost 1800 m.a.s.l. The view on the way up is incredibly beautiful, and once up, you can see the entire Lake Garda and the mighty landscape around it. From lakes to the Brenta Dolomites and the glaciers there.

Starting from the mountain lift, there are several nice hiking trails that follow the mountain ridge. The plan is to go for a walk of about two hours before returning to the mountain lift and a joint lunch at the top restaurant (not included).

Then you take the mountain lift back down to Malcesine, where you can spend some time in the cozy little town before taking the boat back to Riva del Garda. A wonderful day with both a boat trip, a mountain lift with spectacular views, and a hike at 1800 m.a.s.l.
Tickets for the boat trip and the mountain lift are not included.

Lunch and dinner on your own (not included).

Day 7Hike to the "mountain chapel" Santa Barbara above the town of Riva del Garda

After a relaxing and wonderful breakfast, it's time for today's excursion.
You follow the promenade along the lake all the way to the old town of Riva del Garda. This is where the trail starts, taking you all the way up to the tiny mountain chapel of Santa Barbara, high up on the mountain slope. A strange place to locate a chapel, but there is a wide and nice trail all the way from the lake to the chapel. A great hike with many vertical meters. Once at the top, it's a Kodak moment; little effort for a huge view!

On the way back from Riva del Garda, you might stop at the beach for a swim in the lake. Wonderfully cooling. We will likely be back at the hotel in the early afternoon. Lunch on your own, not included.

We gather at 19:30 for a joint departure for a farewell dinner at a cozy local restaurant (included).

Day 8Return Journey

Breakfast before checking out and transfer to the airport.

The program is preliminary, changes may occur. Expa Travel AS reserves the right to make corrections for typos/currency adjustments.